Shipyard De Hoop builds vessel for US tour operator

The newly delivered 135m-long cruise ship River Discovery II  will be christened on March 18 in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. The River Discovery II is the first in a series of four cruise ships built by Shipyard De Hoop for US tour operator Vantage Deluxe World Travel, Boston, MA

Eleven years ago, Shipyard De Hoop built its first ship for Vantage. The River Discovery II is the first in a series of new-generation ships. These ships have a classic retro look but feature the very latest technologies. Never before has De Hoop designed a 135m ship for this customer, the maximum length allowed by EU regulations.

The second ship, the Sojour, also 135m long, is currently under construction on the slipway and will be delivered in early 2013. For the third ship, the Voyager (110m), the preparatory work is in progress. This ship will be delivered in the course of 2013. The production of the fourth ship, also 135m, will begin soon.

The new-generation Vantage ships have many innovative features:

1. Efficient propulsion system: Propulsion is supplied by two Tier 2 compliant Caterpillar C32 engines in combination with two 7,45 kW Veth rudder propellers. This allows the ships to be classified as “green ships,” with low emissions.

2. Energy savings: The entire ship is equipped with LED lighting. With some 2,600 lights using 3W instead of 445W, this results in enormous energy savings.

3. Shallow draft and better passenger comfort: The special hull shape allows a minimum draft of 1.45 m. Vantage ships can reach the desired cruising speed of 22km/h using relatively little power, which saves a considerable amount of fuel. Additionally, the low resistance and smart construction reductions hull vibrations and noise, resulting in increased passenger comfort.

4. New audio and entertainment systems: A high-tech audio system has been installed in the public areas of the ships. In addition, entertainment-on-demand (film, video and internet) and a GPS tracking system are available in the cabins.

5. New ceiling design: De Hoop developed a framework combined with a new type of stretch ceiling, bringing together the advantages of a plaster ceiling and system ceiling that will allow access to wiring and piping.

6. User-friendly interior: The high-quality interior is low-maintenance.

7. Hydraulic sliding roof: At the back of the ship, above the bar and the conservatory, there is a hydraulic sliding roof that can be fully opened and closed within three minutes. The ship therefore always has plenty of outside space, including on routes where passengers are not allowed on the 1,300m2 top deck due to low bridges.

March 16, 2012